How Barbie Lost Her Groove, But Shouldn't Have

The system picked up signals that young girls, heavily influenced by the gyrations of pop star Britney Spears, wanted a doll bolder and brasher than Mattel's pert-and-pale Barbie. Yet, today, MGA's hip-hop cool Bratz threaten Barbie's reign as queen of the dolls.

Worldwide sales of Bratz reached $700 million last yeargrowing more than 45% over the previous 12 months, while sales of Barbie have stagnated.

Barbie's share of the fashion doll market has shrunk from 75% in 2000 to roughly 60% today, and new rivalsJanay and Friends from Integrity Toys, Girls on the Go from Tolly Tots, and the Princess line from Disneyare all crowding into the doll aisle.

Mattel had the means to see it coming and act decisively to protect its franchise. What happened?

ACNielsen: Retail Riches. Every day, ACNielsen gathers data associated with millions of retail purchases, from apples in Arizona and Barbies in Boston. It charges a bundle for the results. Is it worth it?